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Sixty-Sixth Congress, Third Session 



House Document No. 1024 



JOSEPH B. THOMPSON 

(Late a Representative from Oklahoma) 

MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 

DELIVERED IN THE 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OF THE UNITED STATES 



SIXTY-SIXTH CONGRESS 
SECOND SESSION 



April 18, 1920 



PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 
THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING 



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WASHINGTON 
1922 



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UB^nY OF CONGRESS 
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JUL 151922 

DOCUMENTS DJViiSION 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Page 

Proceedings in the House 5 

Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D 5 

Memorial addresses by — 

Mr. Scott Ferris, of Oklahoma 11 

Mr. Dick T. Morgan, of Oklahoma 16 

Mr. William B. McKinley, of Hlinois 21 

Mr. Champ Clark, of Missouri 22 

Mr. Everette B. Howard, of Oklahoma 24 

Mr. John N. Tillman, of Arkansas 26 

Mr. James Young, of Texas 29 

Mr. James V. McClintic, of Oklahoma 32 

Mr. William W. Hastings, of Oklahoma 36 

Mr. J. N. Tincher, of Kansas 38 

Mr. Tom D. McKeown, of Oklahoma 39 

Mr. John W. Harreld, of Oklahoma 42 

Proceedings in the Senate , 45 



[3] 




HON. JOSEPH B.THOMPSON 



DEATH OF HON. JOSEPH B. THOMPSON 



PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE 



Friday, September 19, 1919. 
The House met at 11 o'clock a. m. 

The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., oifered the 
following prayer : 

Incline Thine ear. Father in heaven, and hear our peti- 
tion. Guide these Thy servants in their deliberations, that 
all their enactments may be in consonance with the eter- 
nal fitness of things. 

The eyes of all our people are centered upon the Na- 
tional Congress, that they may smooth away the rough 
places, bring harmony out of chaos, establish peace and 
justice to all classes and conditions of men, lead on to 
greater achievements and all that pertains to clean living, 
to pure government, under a Constitution which has 
served its purpose for a hundred and thirty-two years. 

And now, O Father, comfort us who are called upon to 
mourn the going of a Representative who has served 
faithfully his State and Nation for lo, these many years. 
Comfort us, his stricken wife and children, by the blessed 
hope of the immortality of the soul, and praise be Thine 
through Him who died and lives to uphold and strengthen 
the sorrowing forever and aye. Amen. 

Mr. Morgan. Mr. Speaker, it becomes my painful duty 
to announce to the House the death of my colleague from 
Oklahoma, Hon. Joseph B. Thompson, a Representative 
from the fifth district of the State of Oklahoma. 

[5] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Thompson 



Mr. Thompson passed away about 6 o'clock yesterday 
evening, while on a Baltimore & Ohio train in West Vir- 
ginia on his way home. 

I shall not at this time undertake to offer any appro- 
priate eulogy, but at some future time either myself or one 
of my colleagues from Oklahoma will ask that a day be 
set aside in order that proper tributes may be rendered 
to the distinguished services which the deceased rendered 
to his State and his Nation. 

Mr, Speaker, I offer the following resolution. 

The Speaker. The gentleman from Oklahoma offers a 
resolution, which the Clerk will report. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
the death of Hon. Joseph B. Thompson, a Representative from 
the State of Oklahoma. 

Resolved, That a committee of 17 Members of the House, with 
such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to 
attend the funeral. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be authorized 
and directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying 
out the provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary ex- 
penses in connection therewith be paid out of the contingent 
fund of the House. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

The resolution was agreed to, and the Speaker ap- 
pointed as the committee on the part of the House Mr. 
Ferris, Mr. Carter, Mr. Morgan, Mr. Hastings, Mr. McClintic, 
Mr. McKeown, Mr. Howard, Mr. Campbell of Kansas, Mr. 
Jacoway, Mr. Goodwin of Arkansas, Mr. Young of North 
Dakota, Mr. Barkley, Mr. Sumners of Texas, Mr. Dyer, 
Mr. Kincheloe, Mr. Randall of California, and Mr. Vaile. 

Mr. Morgan. Mr, Speaker, I offer the following resolu- 
tion. 



[6] 



Proceedings in the House 



The Clerk read as follows : 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect this House do now 
adjourn. 

The resolution was agreed to. 

Accordingly (at 4 o'clock and 28 minutes p. m.) the 
House adjourned until Saturday, September 20, 1919, at 
12 o'clock noon. 

Friday, April 9, 1920. 

Mr. McClintic. Mr. Speaker, I desire to ask unanimous 
consent that Sunday, April 18, 1920, beginning at 12 
o'clock noon, be set aside for addresses in memory of the 
late Joseph B. Thompson, a Representative from the State 
of Oklahoma. 

The Speaker. The gentleman from Oklahoma asks 
unanimous consent that Sunday, April 18, 1920, be set 
aside for memorial services on his late colleague, Mr. 
Thompson. Is there objection? [After a pause.] The 
Chair hears none. 

Sunday, April 18, 1920. 

The House met at 12 o'clock noon and was called to 
order by Mr. Carter as Speaker pro tempore. 

The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the 
following prayer: 

Our Father in heaven, incline Thine ear, attend our 
prayer. We are here on this holy day to fulfill a sacred 
duty. Cleanse our minds, purify our hearts, and fit us for 
the service. 

A faithful Member of this House has fallen asleep, and 
we mourn his going. Wise of judgment, strong of will, 
with ever a laudable purpose in view, he was a servant 
of the people and gave his best thoughts and acts to their 
interests in State and Nation. 



[7] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Thompson 

Comfort the hearts of his many friends, his loving wife 
and children, with faith, hope, love, which are ever com- 
ing down from heaven into the heart of man. 

He was a consistent member of the Methodist Church. 
His faith therefore was unbounded, his hope buoyant. 
His body is still, but his soul goes marching on to larger 
life and greater attainments. 

Help us to look forward to a blessed reunion beyond the 
stars in Thine own good time; and everlasting praise be 
Thine, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

The Speaker pro tempore. This Sabbath day has been, 
by special order, set apart for appropriate exercises in 
commemoration of the life, character, and public service 
of the late Hon. Joseph B. Thompson, a Member of Con- 
gress from the State of Oklahoma, and the House is now in 
session for that purpose. The Clerk will read the special 
order for the day. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

On motion of Mr. McClintic, by unanimous consent, 
Ordered, That Sunday, April 18, 1920, be set aside for me- 
morial services in memory of the late Hon. Joseph B. Thompson, 
a Representative from the State of Oklahoma. 

Mr. McClintic. Mr. Speaker, I offer the following resolu- 
tion. 

The Speaker pro tempore. The gentleman from Okla- 
homa offers a resolution which the Clerk will report. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

House resolution 525 

Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended, 
that opportunity may be given for tributes to the memory of 
Hon. Joseph B. Thompson, late a Member of this House from 
the State of Oklahoma. 

Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory 
of the deceased, and in recognition of his distinguished public 



[8] 



Proceedings in the House 



career, the House at the conclusion of these exercises shall 
stand adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to 
the family of the deceased. 

The Speaker pro tempore. The question is on agreeing 
to the resolution. 
The resolution was agreed to. 



[9] 



i 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 



Address of Mr. Ferris, of Oklahoma 

Mr. Speaker: The late Joseph B. Thompson, of Pauls 
Valley, Okla., was born in Texas on April 29, 1871, and 
died on the 18th of September, 1919, on a Baltimore & 
Ohio train en route from Washington City to his home in 
Oklahoma. 

He was a lawyer by profession, and was a practicing 
attorney for 28 years in Indian Territory and Oklahoma. 
He was a successful practitioner of the law — honest, hon- 
ored, and just. 

He was always a Democrat — not a Democrat in name 
only but in truth and in fact a Democrat, and one in all 
the term implies — always active in party councils, both 
State and National; was chairman of the Democratic 
State committee, delegate to the national convention. 
State senator. Congressman' at large, district Congress- 
man, always faithful, always capable, always devoted to 
duty. He was a man. 

Oklahoma was admitted into the Union in November, 
1907, and this is the first time the death angel has called 
one of our delegation to that realm from which no trav- 
eler returns. This was our first great loss; we felt it 
keenly then, we have felt it keenly every day since it 
occurred. His going was a distinct loss to the Oklahoma 
delegation in Congress— a distinct loss to the citizenship 
of the State and to the Nation. 

My long acquaintance with Congressman Thompson 
makes me feel free to embrace the opportunity to bear 



[11] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Thompson 

witness to his devotion to duty, to friendship, and to 
the common man. 

In my service here, aggregating almost 14 years, I have 
seen many Congressmen come and go; I have seen four- 
fifths of them sworn in and retired to private life. Still, 
as my mind runs back over the long list of friends made 
and friends departed, I can not recall a single instance of 
a Member more devoted to the aches and pains of man- 
kind than he. Never a vote, a bill, or a speech that was 
not in their interest, for their welfare, and for their 
advancement. 

Chosen to this high calling — and it is a high calling to 
sit in this historic Hall as a Member of Congress in a 
great Republic like this one — he was never too busy to 
minister to the aches and pains of the humblest constitu- 
ent who sought his encouragement, counsel, and advice. 
Others less considerate than he would allow themselves 
to be engrossed in the larger things and let the aches and 
the pains of the meek and the lowly go unattended and 
untouched. How refreshing it is to observe in this busy, 
thriving, teeming, selfish world a character who thus 
stands out, it seems to me, quite alone — who was always 
willing to care for little things and worry about the hum- 
ble things, to aid and comfort the heartache, the cares, 
and lighten the load of the everyday man. 

It was a known fact among our delegation for many 
months that Congressman Thompson needed rest — needed 
to absent himself from his cares and worry of the great 
office he, with devotion, held. Those of us who knew 
him best had observed his loss in weight, his deterioration 
of body; still he toiled on, still he labored on, in the 
interest of his constituents, his State, his Nation. It may 
well be said that he fell a sacrifice to his work, to this all- 
controlling desire of devotion to duty. He died in the 



[12] 



Address of Mr. Ferris, of Oklahoma 



harness in the midday of life, enjoying a splendid career, 
rendering a noble service. All this makes his going the 
more abrupt, the more consuming. 

In my long service here I have seen many of my col- 
leagues fall from this lofty position to honored graves, but 
few have gone on before or will go in the future who leave 
behind them a longer train of friends, both in and out of 
Congress. 

Death always comes too soon, but when we meet it face 
to face it seems the more unbearable, the more abrupt; 
and when we observe it in our friends and when they are 
called in the zenith of their powers it makes the problem 
of the human life more difficult and hard to understand. 

I repeat, his death was a loss to his delegation, to his 
family, consisting of a brilliant, devoted wife and two 
sons fashioned in his very image, a loss to his State where 
his friends are everywhere in abundance, a loss to his 
Nation that to-day needs good, true men fully as much as 
they did in the days of yore. 

The grave, whose ponderous jaws are ever open to 
envelop us, has enveloped our friend; still the grave is not 
the end; everything about us is but a solemn testimonial 
of a life beyond the grave, and the sweet assurance of the 
Book of Books, which has ministered to the sorrowing 
hearts of men for more than 6,000 years, gives us the sweet 
assurance of a better life, a fairer day, where there is no 
sorrow, heartaches, disappointments, and deaths. 

As we view the House of Representatives from a cir- 
cumscribed area — many come here — many go — ^but when 
we view it from the broader arc of the circle of a Nation 
but few are called to stand at the head of this Govern- 
ment in the Halls of Congress to serve a great, growing, 
thriving Nation, teeming with this great constituency who 
believe in free government and the liberties of mankind. 



[13] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Thompson 

Two thousand years ago Cicero, sobbing above the dead 
body of his daughter, Tulia, exclaimed : " Is there no 
meeting place for the dead? " Well may we of this gen- 
eration ask. What is to become of the seven and one- 
half million soldier boys who died on the threshold of 
life that free government and a better world might live? 
What is to become of these young men with genius, who 
in the morningtide of life gave their life that free govern- 
ment might live? What became of the Carpenter of Naza- 
reth, dead at 30 years of age? There can be but one 
answer — there is but one answer — the Book of Books tells 
us, and it has never been supplanted and never will be — 
that there is life beyond the grave ; and who is there who 
either in logic, truth, or reason will attempt to supplant 
the blessed assurance this Book affords? No; to me I 
prefer to believe that those who have passed through 
that incident of nature called death have but passed 
through the black waters that reach the summerland be- 
yond — that they will be ushered into the glories of those 
who have gone beyond. To me they have gone to a land 
unstained by the smoke and din of battle, where they 
may write their books, invent their tools, fashion their 
songs, and guide the tramping, treading multitude to a 
better way — a fairer day in that land of perfect knowl- 
edge — in that land of love and peace. To such a destiny 
I would commit my friend — to such a destiny his foot- 
steps will travel, 

Mr. Speaker, while no one of right mind ever welcomes 
death, still its rigor loses strength as the years pass by. 



[14] 



Address of Mr. Ferris, of Oklahoma 



In the language of the poet, and thus the poet sings- 
All are scattered now and fled, 
Some are married, some are dead; 
And when I ask, with throbs of pain: 
"Ahl when shall they all meet again. 
As in the days long since gone by?" 
The ancient timepiece made reply: 
" Forever — never; 
Never — forever." 

Never here, forever there, 
"Where all parting, pain, and care. 
And death and time shall disappear 
Forever there, but never here; 
The horologue of eternity 
Sayeth this incessantly: 
" Forever — never; 
Never — forever." 



[15] 



Address of Mr. Morgan, of Oklahoma 

Mr. Speaker : We have met to-day to conduct memorial 
services in honor of our departed friend and colleague, 
Hon. Joseph B. Thompson, late a Member of the House of 
Representatives from the State of Oklahoma. 

Mr. Thompson was born in Grayson County, Tex., on 
the 29th day of April, 1871, and departed this life on the 
18th day of September, 1919. He passed away before he 
had attained the age of 50 years. His life was short but 
it was full of honorable achievement. His death came 
suddenly and unexpectedly. The sad news brought deep 
sorrow and great regret to all who knew him. I recall 
very vividly the time, place, and manner in which 
the sad news was conveyed to me. About 9 o'clock on 
the evening of September 18, 1919, I was called to the 
telephone. It was a message from the Hon. Champ Clark, 
the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, in- 
forming me that he had received a telegram stating that 
Congressman Thompson, of Oklahoma, had died on the 
train about 6 o'clock that evening while on his way to 
visit his home at Pauls Valley, Okla. The unwelcome 
message came as a great shock to me and brought pain 
and sorrow to my heart. 

When the House of Representatives met the following 
day it so happened that the other Members of the Okla- 
homa delegation had been called away from Washington 
on a matter of public interest to the State of Oklahoma 
and that I was the only Representative of the State pres- 
ent. It became my sad and painful duty to rise in the 
House and announce the death of my colleague, Joseph B. 
Thompson. I offered an appropriate resolution at that 
time in which the House of Representatives expressed its 

[16] 



Address of Mr. Morgan, of Oklahoma 

profound sorrow at his death. On the same day the 
United States Senate passed a similar resolution. The 
Senate and House of Representatives appointed commit- 
tees to attend the funeral. As a Member of the House 
committee I accompanied the remains of our departed 
friend to Pauls Valley, Okla. I witnessed the beautiful 
and impressive funeral services, at which large numbers 
of constituents, friends, neighbors, and relatives as- 
sembled to pay respect to their distinguished fellow citi- 
zen and Representative in Congress. 

Mr. Thompson was elected to the Sixty-third, Sixty- 
fourth, Sixty-fifth, and Sixty-sixth Congresses of the 
United States. Prior to his election to Congress he had 
demonstrated his ability as a lawyer and his leadership 
in the public affairs of the State. He had served as a 
member of the State senate of Oklahoma; he had been 
chairman of the Democratic State committee; and he had 
been a delegate to three Democratic national conventions. 
Those of us who are familiar with the fierce conflict in 
the political arena know that such honors do not come to 
one by mere chance or accident. The high recognition 
which Mr. Thompson received from his fellow citizens in 
Oklahoma w as the natural result of his intellectual force, 
his personal popularity, his integrity of character, and 
his laudable aspirations to be of service to his State and 
Nation and to accomplish in life things that were worth 
while. 

My acquaintance with Mr. Thompson was very slight 
prior to the time he entered the Sixty-third Congress. In 
politics he w^as a stanch Democrat. 1 was a Republican. 
Whatever may have been our impressions of each other 
at the beginning of our association in the House of Repre- 
senatives, it was not long until our personal relations be- 
came exceedingly cordial. Later we became close friends. 
He would often come over to the Republican side of the 

55301—22 2 [17] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Thompson 

House, take his seat beside me, and talk with me. In like 
manner I would frequently go over to the Democratic side 
of the House and visit with him. When important ques- 
tions were to be voted upon we consulted with each other 
about the question involved and the proper vote to be cast. 

No one would question Mr. Thompson's Democracy or 
his devotion to the principles of his party or doubt the 
sincerity of his belief that the supremacy of those princi- 
ples would contribute to the general welfare of the coun- 
try. With all this, he was independent in his character. 
He reached his own conclusions as to what constituted 
Democratic measures and always had the courage to vote 
as he thought was right regardless of the Democratic 
leadership in the House. 

Mr. Thompson was born and reared on a farm. Within 
his congressional district was the largest city in the State. 
The large majority of his constituents were farmers. He 
was never unmindful of the welfare of his city constitu- 
ents, but his farmer constituents were his favorites. He 
was always loyal to them and their industry. He sought 
to render agriculture the best services of which he was 
capable. He took a deep interest in every proposition and 
measure that would promote agricultural development or 
contribute to the prosperity of the farmers. 

He possessed superior intellectual endowments. His 
mind grasped political questions quickly and easily. With 
almost unerring precision he reached correct conclusions. 
Once settled in his opinions, he was not easily changed. 
He was a conscientious legislator. He voted as he thought 
was right. He liked to be in harmony with his party; he 
respected leadership; he had due regard for the opinions 
of others. But he would follow no one in a course which 
to his mind ran counter to the good of his constituents or 
the welfare of his country. He had courage in a high de- 
gree. He was fearless in defending what he deemed right. 

[18] 



Address of Mr. Morgan, of Oklahoma 

He was honest, sincere, and upright. He was kind and 
generous in his disposition, cordial and companionable in 
his relations with others, and his life was full of good 
works and unselfish deeds. He was called from the con- 
flict of this life in the prime of manhood. Measured by the 
years he lived, his life was short. But a man's life is not 
measured by the number of years he lives. The true meas- 
ure of a man's life is what he has done. Measured by this 
standard, his was not a short life. He rose from a com- 
paratively humble position in life to prominence in the 
legal profession, to a position of great influence in politics 
in his State, and for more than six years rendered highly 
useful and eminently honorable service in the greatest 
legislative body in the world. 

He was not a man of narrow views. Primarily he 
thought first of his own home, his neighbors, and friends 
to whom he felt most deeply indebted. In passing upon a 
legislative proposition he thought first about how it would 
affect the people of his own congressional district who 
had commissioned him to come to the National Capital 
and participate in directing the aff'airs of the greatest Na- 
tion on the earth. But he was broad enough to recognize 
that in part he was legislating for more than a hundred 
million people. He loved devoutly his home people, he 
was deeply attached to the State of Oklahoma and all her 
citizens, but with all this he was intensely patriotic and 
supremely loyal to the Nation. In the enactment of war 
legislation he did his part well. The record of his votes 
will show that the honor of our country was safe in his 
hands. He believed in protecting the rights of American 
citizens at all hazards. Regardless of how his votes might 
affect his political future, he voted for every measure that 
would facilitate the vigorous prosecution of the war, that 
would aid in its successful and victorious conclusion, or 
that would contribute to the safety and welfare of the 

[19] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Thompson 

brave and heroic soldiers, seamen, and marines who con- 
stituted the American Army and Navy in the war with 
Germany. 

So closed the life book of Joseph B. Thompson. In this 
life volume is revealed the coming and the passing away 
of the hard-working farmer boy, the diligent student in 
college, the successful lawyer, the influential politician, 
the skillful legislator, and the eminent statesman. 

We cherish and honor his memory. We deeply regret 
his untimely passing away, and we gladly pay this tribute 
of praise to our departed friend, colleague, and fellow 
citizen. 



[20] 



Address of Mr. McKinley, of Illinois 

Mr. Speaker: We are met here this beautiful spripg 
morning to pay respect to the memory of our friend, 
Joseph B. Thompson. I want to say just one word or two 
of appreciation. 

My acquaintance with Mr. Thompson was in connection 
with the Committee on Agriculture. I found him to be a 
courteous, generous friend, an agreeable companion, a 
conscientious Congressman, a hard-working legislator, 
who knew before he came to the committee meetings 
about the various matters that were to come up. He 
would treat with courtesy a Member who differed with 
him. On the other hand, if he thought he was right he 
would fully maintain his position. If he was convinced 
that he was wrong, he would concur with the majority 
in what they decided upon. 

In the death of Mr. Thompson the Congress of the 
United States has lost a hard-working, conscientious Con- 
gressman and the country a good, upright citizen. 



[21] 



Address of Mr. Clark, of Missouri 

•Mr. Speaker : Of the many things I have done in my 26 
years of service in the House there are many upon which 
I look back with pride and pleasure. One of these is that 
for years I did my utmost to bestow the boon of statehood 
upon Oklahoma. Two of the most pleasant weeks of my 
life were spent in that beautiful land, hunting and fishing. 
I drove over a large part of it in a spring wagon and 
" viewed the landscape o'er " with ever-increasing delight. 
Anybody could tell that it would some day be a great agri- 
cultural State, but the chances are that in that faraway 
day even the most imaginative and enthusiastic of boomers 
never dreamed what a rich and mighty Commonwealth 
she would become within two decades, with fair prospects 
of becoming one of the greatest and wealthiest States of 
the Union. Neither Jules Verne nor any other novelist 
ever wrote a tale so fetching as the history of Oklahoma. 

Hef population is composed of the very cream of the 
peoples of the older States — the young, the vigorous, the 
adventurous, the daring. 

From the beginning she has sent a strong delegation to 
the councils of the Nation, where they have taken high 
rank. Most of them have been and are young men in the 
very prime of life. No man past middle life has yet repre- 
sented her in House or Senate. She has been very for- 
tunate in the fact that until now death has never broken 
into her delegation. 

Everybody at all acquainted with Joseph B. Thompson 
sincerely mourned his departure. He was my friend, true 
as steel, faithful as the needle to the pole. In fact, he was 
absolutely true in all the multiplied relations of life. He 



[22] 



Address of Mr. Clark, of Missouri 



was a fine Representative, honest, industrious, honorable, 
level-headed, positive and kind, firm in his convictions, 
and unafraid. 

To discharge his duty faithfully and well was his one 
idea in public life. This he did courageously and intelli- 
gently. 

His death came suddenly and to most of us unexpect- 
edly. He sleeps in his home city of Pauls Valley, one of 
the loveliest spots on earth, among the people who loved 
him so well and whom he served so faithfully. In his 
death Oklahoma and the Nation lost one of the most de- 
pendable of all American public men. 



[23] 



Address of Mr. Howard, of Oklahoma 

Mr. Speaker: We are gathered together to-day to pay 
tribute to the memory of a departed friend. This tribute 
is prompted by our affectionate regard for him as repre- 
sentative of the people and as our friend. 

In the death of Joseph B. Thompson Oklahoma lost a 
close friend and patriot who had done much for its up- 
building, and the National Government lost a Representa- 
tive in the House of Congress whose courageous stand at 
all times for right and progress was of great benefit to 
this Nation. 

Joseph B. Thompson was a commanding figure among 
the leaders in the construction and upbuilding of the 
State of Oklahoma. It was a great accomplishment to 
have been of real service, such as he was, to his State and 
his Nation. It was a great accomplishment to have won, as 
he did, the confidence and love of all those who knew hint 
and his work. 

Mr. Thompson was one of the most indefatigable Mem- 
bers of this body in looking after the interests of his con- 
stituents, whether those interests took the form of legis- 
lation or of some detail requiring attention at the depart- 
ments. It was this indefatigable industry in all matters 
large and small, his rugged integrity, his power of speech, 
his devotion to the interests of his constituents, his high 
ideals, and his upright life that explain his remarkable 
hold upon his constituents. No district ever had a more 
faithful Representative in Congress or one serving them 



[24] 



Address of Mr. Howard, of Oklahoma 

with an eye more single to their interests. He was a 
valued friend, a kindly neighbor, a delightful host, a 
dutiful and alTectionate son, a true and faithful husband, 
and a generous and loving father. He truly met all of 
the near and tender relations of life, and I mourn his loss, 
feeling that Oklahoma and all who were bound to him by 
the tie that binds are poorer by his death. 



[25] 



Address of Mr. Tillman, of Arkansas 

Mr. Speaker : It is an old custom of the House and one 
much honored in the observance to devote one day in 
commemoration of the life and services of the men who 
die while serving in this body. This good daj^ has been 
set apart for the purpose of paying tribute to our departed 
friend and former colleague, Hon. Joseph B. Thompson, 
of Oklahoma. His associates called him by his given 
name when addressing him, and in this way testified to 
the tender regard in which he was held. 

His family and mine lived at the same hotel and occu- 
pied rooms in the same apartment house for considerable 
periods. Our offices were not far separated and on the 
same floor. Together we visited the Allied fronts in the 
spring of 1918, each of us having a son at that time with 
the combat troops in France. We were, therefore, closely 
associated during all of my service here, and I came to 
know him and the members of his devoted family inti- 
mately and well. 

Mr. Thompson was born in Texas and spent the greater 
part of his life in the virile young State of Oklahoma. He 
was brought up in a school where the sterner virtues are 
cultivated, where the fittest survive, and where men of 
high purpose and strong character alone are selected to 
lead. 

He was a man of infinite courage, aggressive, courteous, 
possessed of a vigorous personality, willing and ready at 
all times to lend to the unfortunate and to the lowly his 
loyal help and friendship. He therefore counted among 
his followers the large majority of the big-hearted plain 
people. The unpretentious, the great middle class, among 
his constituents, whose support can not be purchased by 
money, proclaimed him their idol and their champion. 
He was the stalwart friend of the farmer and the man 

C26] 



Address of Mr. Tillman, of Arkansas 

who labors with his hands, and he was their generous 
advocate at all times. He literally lived up to the phi- 
losophy of Jefferson, who taught the equality of all men. 
Indeed and in truth, the meek and the lowly and the help- 
less were first in his thoughts, and he regarded them with 
more favor than he did men of wealth and prominence. 
He mingled with his constituents freely and was never so 
happy as he was when going from place to place in his 
district greeting his friends with the spirit of genuine 
friendship which characterized his intercourse with his 
people. He never forgot the fact that he came from the 
plain people; he never ceased to love them and they never 
lost their faithful love for him. He seemed always espe- 
cially eager to be doing something for the soldier, for the 
soldier's family, and devoted a great deal of his time 
writing, phoning, and visiting the various departments in 
their interests. 

Mr. Thompson was a man of indomitable energy. Few 
Members devoted more hours to the dull drudgery of con- 
gressional life. His capacity for hard mental and physi- 
cal labor was phenomenal. This accounts in a large meas- 
ure for his rapid rise to a position of influence. Drudgery 
is the gray angel of success, and our friend was a distinct 
success as a citizen and as a public official. His splendid 
State has upon the floor of this House a strong delegation, 
but he was the peer of any of his colleagues in point of 
ability, in popularity, and in influence. 

He was not a noisy Member, yet he discussed with vigor 
and rare intelligence many of the big questions that en- 
gaged the attention of the House during his membership 
therein. He never indulged in frivolous nonsense and his 
speeches abounded in forceful argument, devoid of drivel. 
He yielded a keen blade in debate and always had a re- 
spectful hearing when he engaged in discussion on this 
floor. 

In the days that are passing swiftly as the swallows fly 
the membership of this House is ever changing. Month 
after month our hearts are made heavy by the death of 

[27] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Thompson 



colleague after colleague. During the last few years a 
large number of our associates have answered the last 
call. Our friend died suddenly while on the train, accom- 
panied by his son, as they were speeding westward toward 
the land he loved. A sudden death is rather to be desired. 
How much better it is for the grim warrior who conquers 
all men to hurl his sable spear full at the heart and strike 
down his victim at high noon when he is surrounded by 
his fellows than to sap his strength by slow degrees while 
he lies bedridden within the four walls of a dreary sick 
room. 

I am sure that all is well with our departed friend. It 
makes us sad, of course, when we think of this loss to his 
district, to his friends, and especially to his excellent fam- 
ily; but sooner or later we must all enter the land of shad- 
ows, and yet we believe as he did that the soul is immortal 
and will live forever. We have missed and will continue 
to miss his genial companionship, but one by one, year by 
year, we shall follow him. 

Life's shores are shifting 

Every year. 
And we are seaward drifting 

Every year. 
Old places, changing, fret us, 
The living more forget us, 
There are fewer to regret us 

Every year. 
But the truer life grows nigher 

Every year. 
Earth's hold on us grows slighter, 
And the heavy burdens lighter, 
And the dawn immortal brighter 

Every year. 



[28] 



Address of Mr. Young, of Texas 

Mr. Speaker: Mr. Thompson was a native of my State, 
born and reared in Grayson County, one of the splendid 
counties of the State of Texas, whose population, in in- 
telligence and in good citizenship, is equal to that of any 
county that I know. In his earlier youth Mr. Thompson 
had his struggles. He had to fight his battles in order to 
educate himself. That education was attained in our com- 
mon schools and our institutions of higher learning in the 
great State of Texas. 

In his early manhood Mr. Thompson saw fit to cast his 
lot with the people of the State of Oklahoma, and he began 
as a leadei' in that State, and had the respect and esteem • 
of the entire citizenship of that Commonwealth, because 
it was recognized that his leadership was wise. 

My intimate acquaintance with him began after he came 
to Congress. We both served on the Committee on Agri- 
culture. His birthplace and my birthplace were not far 
removed, and when I met him and knew him personally, 
as I did in service on that great committee, 1 could see from 
day to day, in his counsel and advice on pending legisla- 
tion, that his earlier training had impressed itself upon 
him, that he knew the problems which confronted the 
great agricultural masses of our Nation, and that he was 
responding to those problems in aiding to write legislation 
that might serve the people who produce to feed the world. 

The loss of such a man from this body is not alone a loss 
to the body itself but it is a loss to the people of the Nation. 
When the Representative of a constituency is a man born 
and living among the people whose problems he has 
known from childhood, that type of man knows how to be- 
come a real Representative. He is a part of the people 



[29] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Thompson 

whom the Good Book describes as the great common peo- 
ple. And when a man of that type is sent here, breathing 
the same air, thinking the same thoughts, having the same 
experiences, his acts are an aid to the great citizenship that 
he represents. 

I recall one incident in om' service on the Committee on 
Agriculture when we had under consideration some of the 
war legislation. As all of us know, we had some difficult 
legislation, the one supreme thought being so to mobilize 
our people and all the power and resources they had that 
we could win the war. But in passing these various war 
statutes there was no precedent to guide us. Many times 
we had to leap in the dark. Probably one of the most far- 
reaching pieces of legislation that this Congress passed 
was what was known as the food-control law. 

In the bill as originally drafted its far-reaching powers 
extended to every farm in the land. One of those powers 
was that of fixing prices on agricultural products. As the 
bill was then drafted it was a general power giving au- 
thority to those appointed by the President of the United 
States to exercise that power at discretion. I remember 
very distinctly the discussion of that important proposi- 
tion, in which my friend Joe Thompson participated. It 
was an amendment offered by him that saved the situa- 
tion. That amendment was adopted by the committee to 
this effect: That if this power to fix prices on agricultural 
products were to be exercised it must be done " season- 
ably and in advance of seeding time." It was a remark- 
able amendment, a far-reaching amendment, and back 
of it lay the fact that if you were going to take the prod- 
ucts of the great agricultural people by some agency of 
the Government, exercising an extraordinary war power 
to fix the price of the product of their toil, that fairness to 
the people, the producers, demanded that the President 
of the Nation should by proclamation state in advance of 



[30] 



Address of Mr. Young, of Texas 



seeding time that the price would be fixed and that the 
product and price should be named before crops were 
planted. Mr. Thompson was the author of that amend- 
ment. It became a part of the law. It helped to save a 
bad situation. The fact that he had been reared on a 
farm, had received the hard knocks that go with the labor 
on the farm, enabled him to understand the situation, 
and so that provision was written into the war law. 

He had a great heart. His heart responded to the peo- 
ple. He knew their troubles and faithfully represented 
their views. He was a wise leader, a devoted husband, 
a patriotic father, giving to the service his son, who went 
to the front. He was kind to his friends and loved by 
everybody who knew him. His going is only too soon. 
His family, his State, and the country have suffered an 
irreparable loss. Peace to his ashes. 



[31] 



Address of Mr. McClintic, of Oklahoma 

Mr. Speaker : In the death of our distinguished citizen, 
friend, and colleague, the late Hon. Joseph B. Thompson, 
of Oklahoma, the Nation has lost one of its most patriotic 
citizens, the State of Oklahoma one of its hardest workers, 
the fifth congressional district a loyal Representative, the 
Democratic Party one of its most devoted supporters, and 
the wife and family a loving husband and father whose 
greatest pleasure in life was looking after their every 
comfort. 

His death came as a sudden flash of lightning out of a 
clear sky. No one ever dreamed that the grim reaper of 
death was soon to mow him down. It is rather a strange 
coincident, as my distinguished colleague, Mr. Morgan, 
has called attention to, that most of the Members of the 
Oklahoma delegation were away, out on the ocean speed- 
ing for Norfolk, Va., for the purpose of delivering a silver 
service set to that great battleship which bears the name 
of Oklahoma. Mr. Thompson's death cast a sad gloom 
over that party. 

Congressman Thompson, like myself, was born in 
Texas. In his early days he suffered some privations, but 
he was possessed of a sufficient amount of determination 
and energy to keep striving for an education, and he never 
stopped until he was successful in being admitted to prac- 
tice his chosen profession— that of the law. Everywhere 
he lived his honesty, his uprightness, and fair dealing 
with his fellow man caused him to be loved and to be 
respected by all who knew him. 

Congressman Thompson was a Democrat. He held a 
high position in the estimation of all of those who 
affiliated with his party. On many occasions he was hon- 

[32] 



Address of Mr. McClintic, of Oklahoma 



ored by being selected to high positions of trust. On two 
occasions he was sent as a delegate to the national con- 
vention. Twice he was selected as chairman of the Demo- 
cratic Party of Oklahoma. In 1910 he was elected as a 
member of the Oklahoma State Senate. It was during 
this period that the citizenship of the new State was con- 
fronted with many intricate questions to solve. The sec- 
tion of the State formerly known as Indian Territory was 
originally governed by the Territory laws, the rules and 
regulations of the Five Civilized Tribes, and the laws of 
the United States Government for the protection of th0 
Indians. Likewise, in that part of the State formerly 
known as the Oklahoma Territory the Government main- 
tained certain supervision over the Indian tribes residing 
in same. It was necessary for the early sessions of the 
legislature to iron out the many wrinkles and put into 
effect legislation that would be acceptable to all of the 
people. 

Congressman Thompson, being a State senator at the 
time, played a most conspicuous part in performing this 
work in a satisfactory manner. He was a member of the 
famous extraordinary session called for the purpose of 
ratifying the act of the governor when the capital of the 
State was moved from Guthrie to Oklahoma City between 
suns. He was a member of the extraordinary session of 
the senate that was called for the purpose of ironing out 
the difficulties that existed among the members of the 
educational board having jurisdiction over the various 
educational institutions of the State. He was selected as 
chairman of the committee on senatorial, representative, 
and judicial redistricting. It was my privilege to be 
elected chairman of the corresponding committee in the 
house. While serving in this capacity I first became inti- 
mately acquainted with him. In all of the joint sessions 
held by these committees he always conducted himself 

[33] 

55301 — 22 3 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Thompson 

in such a way as to merit the confidence and respect of 
all present. Under his leadership the bill dividing the 
State into senatorial and judicial districts was passed. 
He probably introduced more bills than any other mem- 
ber of that body. It was during this service that I learned 
to admire him, and it is a great pleasure to say that the 
friendship formed at that time continued until his death. 

Oklahoma was admitted as a State a little over 12 years 
ago. Our late distinguished colleague is the first Repre- 
sentative from our State to go to his grave. In the 
House of Representatives he was loved and respected by 
everyone. He was a member of the great Agricultural 
Committee, which has jurisdiction over all matters per- 
taining to the farm. He believed that in the consideration 
of every question the interest of the farmers should be 
properly considered, and it can be truly said that the 
agricultural class had in him a loyal and stanch friend. 

In addition to the thousands of friends who mourn his 
loss, he left a loving wife and two splendid, manly young 
sons. I think it is appropriate for me to say that when 
this country went to war, and it was necessary that we 
join the Allies in opposing the great military tyrant who 
sought to conquer the world, that his only son of age laid 
aside his domestic pursuits and volunteered for service. 
He was willing to make the supreme sacrifice in order that 
our posterity might forever be free. The hand of fate 
was kind in dealing with the destiny of that son. He was 
spared to be returned to take up the responsibilities of his 
father, and it is my hope he will continue the humani- 
tarian work that was so interesting to our late distin- 
guished colleague and that he will meet with success in 
all of his undertakings. 

Congressman Thompson was faithful to every trust 
imposed in him. He was never too busy but that he 
could find time to help a friend. No State ever had a 

[34] 



Address of Mr. McClintic, of Oklahoma 

more loyal Representative than he. He was universally 
loved and respected by all of his associates, and his loss 
has not only been keenly felt by the Nation but by the 
thousands of his home people whom he loved so well. 
Such a record as his should be an inspiration to everyone; 
and while we all regret he has had to be taken away so 
soon, yet I am pleased that I can stand here to-day and 
concur in all that has been said by the Members of the 
Oklahoma delegation and my other distinguished col- 
leagues who have testified as to their high regard for 
him. 



[35] 



Address of Mr. Hastings, of Oklahoma 

Mr. Speaker : To-day has been set apart to pay a tribute 
of respect to the memory of our late Representative and 
colleague, Joseph B. Thompson. I want to briefly partici- 
pate in these exercises to the extent of bringing a wreath 
to lay upon his memory and to say a word about him. 

He was a resident of Pauls Valley, Garvin County, 
Okla. He came to Oklahoma from the State of Texas 
many years ago. He was always active in local, State, and 
national affairs. When interest was being aroused in the 
movement for statehood he was an earnest advocate of 
it. It was at these meetings, where organizations were 
perfected in the Indian Territory and the Territory of 
Oklahoma asking for statehood, that I iirst met him. He 
was always a central figure in them. A forceful speaker 
and a ready debater, he took an active part in the poli- 
tics of our State during Territorial days and after the two 
Territories were admitted into the Union as one State. 

He was a strong believer in the principles of the party 
to which he belonged and there was no better organizer 
in the State. He contributed much time to the support of 
his party and his views were always given expression in 
its interest. He had an extensive acquaintance through 
the State, where he was known and loved by all men. He 
was immensely popular. 

He served his senatorial district in the State legislature 
and was elected to the Sixty-third Congress as a Repre- 
sentative at large and was afterwards reelected from 
the fifth congressional district to the Sixty-fourth, Sixty- 
fifth, and Sixty-sixth Congresses. No man had a more 
extensive acquaintance in the State than our lamented 



:36] 



Address of Mr, Hastings, of Oklahoma 

friend. He died suddenly on September 18, 1919, while 
on his way from Washington to Oklahoma. The news 
of his death was a great shock not only to the members 
of the delegation but to innumerable friends and admirers 
in the State. 

Upon entering Congress he devoted himself diligently 
to the service of the people of his district and State. I 
doubt if any man in Congress was in more intimate touch 
with the voters. He was prompt in answering every letter 
received and had the reputation of looking after details 
for his constituents who had matters pending in the vari- 
ous departments. He was an active champion of the 
rights of the plain people of the country. Without regard 
to party, they loved and trusted him. He grew up under 
adverse circumstances and never got out of touch with 
men and women that fortune had not favored. 

He served on the Committee on Agriculture and was 
delighted with the work of the committee. He was in- 
tensely interested in farming and made the needs of 
farmers a special study. He was perhaps as well posted 
on subjects pertaining to the needs of the farmer as any 
other man in the House. He seldom made speeches on 
the floor of the House, but when he spoke it was with a 
knowledge of his subject and with great eloquence. 

He left a wife and two sons to mourn his loss, but their 
sorrow is lightened in a large measure by the fact that 
their grief is shared by thousands of friends and admirers' 
throughout the State he served so faithfully and loved so 
well. He was a splendid public servant, a loyal friend, a 
devoted husband and father, and, above all, an honest 
man. 

The people of his district and State miss him and mourn 
his loss. It is fitting that these exercises should be held 
in the House to-day, in order that his services may be 



[37] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Thompson 

recounted and his friends given an opportunity to say a 
word of regret at his early passing, as well as drop a tear* 
upon a grave that was made only too soon. 

Were a star quenched on high — 

For ages would its light, 
Still traveling downward from the sky 

Shine on our mortal sight. 
So when a great man dies, 

For years beyond our ken, 
The light he leaves behind him lies 

Upon the paths of men. 



Address of Mr. Tincher, of Kansas 

Mr. Speaker: On behalf of the entire delegation of the 
neighboring State of Kansas, I desire to join with other* 
neighbors and friends in the sentiment that in the death of 
the Hon. Joseph B. Thompson the State and Nation lost an 
energetic, honest, valuable lawmaker and statesman. 



[38] 



Address of Mr. McKeown, of Oklahoma 

Mr. Speaker : It was in the early spring of 1901 that I first 
met Joseph B. Thompson. It was on the occasion of an im- 
portant murder trial in the United States court then sit- 
ting at Pauls Valley. It was amid one of the scenes that 
is familiar to every man who attended a session of the 
United States court in those days in the Indian Territory. 
My admiration was won by the vigorous and courageous 
manner he exhibited as one of the trial lawyers in the case. 
Our acquaintance soon ripened into friendship which grew 
stronger as the years went by. 

Until the arrival of statehood we met frequently at the 
session of court in the old southern district. After the ad- 
mission of the State into the Union he was selected as 
chairman of the State Democratic committee, and in this 
position he led the party with great distinction and suc- 
cess, and his opinion was always given great weight in the 
councils of his party. Afterwards he was elected to the 
State senate, where his influence was felt in the enactment 
of many wholesome laws. Before the expiration of his 
term as State senator he was elected to Congress at large 
from the State of Oklahoma, and upon the redistricting of 
the State he was elected as Congressman from the fifth 
district. His broad experience in the affairs of men, to- 
gether with his ability, immediately attracted the favor- 
able attention of his colleagues in the House of Representa- 
tives. He had the courage of his convictions and was al- 
ways ready to fight for the rights of the American people. 
He aspired to a place on the great Agricultural Committee 
of the House and his aspirations were rewarded in the 
Sixty-fifth Congress. He served on this committee during 
the War Congress, and no man in Congress ever worked 

[39] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Thompson 

more earnestly for the farmers of the country than Joseph 
B. Thompson. 

He came to Congress at a trying period of the country's 
history and performed his part well in the enactment of 
the constructive legislation w^hich marks the epoch as one 
of the most important in the history of the Repuhlic. On 
account of his wide experience and universal sympathy 
for others he was enabled to understand the minds and 
hearts of the people and foretell the effect of legislation 
upon their welfare. 

He was always modest and unassuming in character; 
he was an ardent Democrat and at times intensely parti- 
san, but never tainted with bitterness. The intenseness 
of his convictions convinced him that his country's wel- 
fare depended upon the success of his party. He believed 
in the rights of the masses of the people and was always 
a foe to special privilege. Honor, sympathy, and duty 
were conspicuous traits of his character and were among 
the chief agencies in the development of his splendid 
manhood. His unusual capacity for winning the affec- 
tion of men was due to his deep human sympathy, and 
*' Joe," as he was familiarly called by his friends, was a 
successful man, and his success was not achieved by birth, 
rank, or fortune, but through his irresistible energy and 
patient plodding. He was a true American, an ideal citi- 
zen in his domestic life, and by his devotion to his home 
and family won the deep respect of all of his acquaint- 
ances. I would fail to pay him proper tribute if I did not 
call attention to those traits of his character exhibited by 
him as a loving husband, devoted father, and faithful 
friend. He was all of these, and his devotion to his family 
and friends was like flowers blossoming along his path- 
way through life. 

While active and busy he was stricken suddenly in the 
prime of life and left us to sorrow over his demise. We 

[40] 



Address of Mr. McKeown, of Oklahoma 

will miss his cordial greeting, his hearty handshake, and 
his earnest solicitation of our welfare. His bark slipped 
its mooring and without a signal of his going he passed 
over the bar. He has answered the summons we all must 
obey. We will linger, some for a few days, others for 
years, but let us hope that our crafts, like his, reach the 
haven where weary ships may rest. 

We carried him back to sunny Oklahoma to the scenes 
of his early activities. At the capital city, where his body 
lay in state, we witnessed the homage paid his memory by 
his sorrowing constituents; the poor as well as the rich 
came and stood side by side to drop a tear upon his bier. 
At Pauls Valley, his home city, his neighbors and friends 
turned out by the thousands to pay their last tribute to 
their foremost citizen. In Pauls Valley we laid him to 
rest in God's acre, and returned with heavy hearts 
sighing : 

Oh, for a touch of a vanished hand 

And for the sound of a voice that is still. 



[41] 



Address of Mr. Harreld, of Oklahoma 

Mr. Speaker: When I located in the Indian Territory, 
which is now a part of the great State of Oklahoma, 15 
years ago, Joe Thompson, as he was familiarly called, was 
already prominent in politics and eminent in the profes- 
sion of the law. He was, upon the advent of statehood, 
made chairman of his party committee for the new State 
and had much to do with the shaping of its laws and 
political tendencies. For a while he contented himself 
with being the power behind the throne; then he asked to 
come to Congress as a Member at large from that State. 
He was elected by the people of the State as a whole, and 
had continuously served in this body thereafter as the 
Member from the fifth district until his untimely death 
in 1919. I became well acquainted with him soon after 
I located at Ardmore, 40 miles from his home at Pauls 
Valley. 

We were personal friends from that time to the time of 
his death. During a part of that time I presided over 
the bankruptcy court for a large district in southern Okla- 
homa as referee in bankruptcy, and Thompson, being a 
lawyer of large and varied practice, often had business 
of importance in the bankruptcy court. This and the fact 
that we often met at the bar of the other courts gave me 
a favorable opportunity to know him both personally and 
professionally. He was a man of true friendships! His 
loyalty to his friends knew no bounds. As a lawyer he 
was not only able but possessed those traits which made 
him a dangerous adversary before judge or jury; at the 
same time his strict adherence to the ethics of the profes- 
sion and his uniform courtesy to opposing counsel and 
opposing litigants never failed to keep for him the respect 

[42] 



Address of Mr. Harreld, of Oklahoma 

and good will of both. That was largely the reason he 
was so invincible in the political field. His Chester- 
fieldian courtesy served him well in the field of political 
endeavor. 

Of his record in Congress others here present who 
served with him are better prepared to speak, and I will 
leave that for' them. This I know, that while making 
my canvass to succeed him last fall I found that he had 
served in this body to the satisfaction of his constituency. 
He had established for himself among his constituency 
a reputation for constructive ability and faithful service, 
and that reputation was not alone established in the 
hearts and minds of those of his own party but it was 
shared in large part by those of opposite political faith. 
That is undeniably shown by the fact that, notwithstand- 
ing Payne County, one of the counties in his district, 
invariably elects as its county officials the Republican 
candidates by majorities ranging from 300 to 900, yet 
Thompson never failed to carry it as the Democratic 
nominee for Congress by from 300 to 700 majority over 
his Republican opponent. 

After all, the measure of a public man's success is not 
to be determined by what this man or that says nor by 
the one act or the other performed by him during his 
career, but it is to be measured by the impression he 
makes upon the general public and by his record taken 
as a whole, and, judged by these standards, I do not hesi- 
tate to say that Joe Thompson's record as a public servant 
was one of which his family and constituency may well 
be proud — one which makes it hard for his successor or 
successors to duplicate and one which will ever cause him 
to be remembered gratefully by those whom he so well 
served in the Halls of Congress. 



[43J 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Thompson 

Mr. McClintic. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have leave to extend their remarks 
in the Record upon the life and character of our late 
colleague. 

The Speaker pro tempore. Is there objection? 

There was no objection. 

The Speaker pro tempore. Under the order heretofore 
adopted, the House will now stand adjourned. 

Accordingly (at 1 o'clock and 15 minutes p. m.) the 
House adjourned until to-morrow, Monday, April 19, 1920, 
at 12 o'clock noon. 



[44] 



PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE 



Friday, September 19, 1919. 

A message from the House of Representatives, by D. K. 
Hempstead, its enrolling clerk, communicated to the Sen- 
ate the intelligence of the death of Hon. Joseph B. Thomp- 
son, late a Representative from the State of Oklahoma, and 
transmitted resolutions of the House thereon. 

Mr. Sheppard. Mr. President, I ask that the resolutions 
just received from the House of Representatives be laid 
before the Senate. 

The President pro tempore. The Chair lays before the 
Senate resolutions from the House of Representatives, 
which will be read. 

The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows : 

Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
the death of Hon. Joseph B. Thompson, a Representative from 
the State of Oklahoma. 

Resolved, That a committee of 17 Members of the House, with 
such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to 
attend the funeral. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of tlie House be authorized 
and directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carry- 
ing out the provisions of these resolutions, and that the neces- 
sary expenses in connection therewith be paid out of the con- 
tingent fund of the House. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect this House do now 
adjourn. 

Mr. Sheppard. Mr. President, in the absence of the Sena- 
tors from Oklahoma, and at their request, it becomes m^y 
painful duty to announce the death of Hon. Joseph B. 



[45] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Thompson 

Thompson, late a Representative from the State of Okla- 
homa, yesterday afternoon on a train en route from this 
city. 

He was a native of Texas, and in his adopted State, the 
State of Oklahoma, rose to the highest positions of trust 
and honor. At a future time an hour will be designated 
for eulogies on his life and character. For the present I 
offer the resolutions which I send to the desk. 

The resolutions (S. Res. 187) were read, considered 
by unanimous consent, and unanimously agreed to, as 
follows : 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with deep sensibility the 
announcement of the death of Hon. Joseph B. Thompson, late a 
Representative from the State of Oklahoma. 

Resolved, That a committee of 10 Senators be appointed by the 
Vice President to join a committee appointed on the part of 
the House of Representatives to take order for superintending the 
funeral of the deceased. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these 
resolutions to the House of Representatives. 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of 
the deceased Representative the Senate do now adjourn. 

Under the second resolution the President pro tempore 
appointed Mr. Owen, Mr. Gore, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Sheppard, 
Mr. Fernald, Mr. Ashurst, Mr. Spencer, Mr. Myers, Mr. 
Phipps, and Mr. Jones of New Mexico as the committee 
on the part of the Senate. 

Mr. Sheppard. Mr. President, as a further mark of re- 
spect to the memory of the deceased Representative, I 
move that the Senate do now adjourn. 

The motion was unanimously agreed to; and (at 4 
o'clock and 55 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until 
Monday, September 22, 1919, at 12 o'clock meridian. 



[46] 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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